Category: Engaged and Participatory Research Fund

Dr Sam Trethewey discusses his recent work with Matt Bakall, Space Youth Services and Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado, exploring how geographical barriers can affect the mental health of young people living in rural areas. Supported by our 2025-6 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund, this project drew directly on young people’s experiences, and the expertise of youth services.

Peter Lefort of the University’s Green Futures Network offers the latest updates on the Positive Tipping Points Toolkit. Working with partners Shalyn Wilkins and Jo Crocker (Winchester Action on Climate Change), this project used Engaged and Participatory Research Funding to engage new and underrepresented communities with pivotal climate research.

Hosted by InExeter, and brought to the city by a local resident, the First Thursdays scheme has been running on the first Thursday of every month this summer. Staff from across the University have been working with the Public Engagement with Research team to deliver pop-up talks, panels, and even a gameshow as part of this community-driven event. 

Sally Palmer, Senior Lecturer and developmental psychologist in the School of Education, and Maria Clarke, Dorset Local Nature Partnership (DLNP) Manager, share experiences from their recent Engaged and Participatory Research funded project, investigating the driving factors in young people’s engagement with environmental issues. 

Professor Emma Pitchforth, Dr Joanne Morrison, and Victoria Cullimore explain the process behind Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) on their recent study, Postnatal Intervention for Cervical Screening. This work was supported by our 2025-6 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund, to help the research team gain lived experience perspectives ahead of the next phase of the project.

Professors Marisa Lazzari and Ioana Oltean from the Department of Archaeology and History share insights into their longstanding collaboration with Fundación Tiempos, an Argentinian organisation dedicated to sustainable and future-focussed heritage preservation. With support from our Engaged and Participatory Research Fund, this project helped support inclusive approaches to heritage in northwestern Argentina.

Dr Jess Marshall talks about the Growing Belonging project, investigating the connection between belonging and community participation, and how research can begin to measure the outcomes of this. This work was supported by our Engaged and Participatory Research Fund for the 2025-6 academic year.

Dr Daniel Fountain tells us about the development of “Queerly Made”, which explores the legacy of craft in the LGBTQ+ communities, and looks at tackling the challenges of underrepresentation in national craft collections. Support from our Engaged and Participatory Research Fund has helped bring this subject to new audiences through workshops and exhibitions in the Tees Valley.

In our final blog piece from our 2024-25 cohort of Engaged and Participatory Research Fund awardees, Lucy Kirkland tells us more about Community Conversations about Cancer, a project which investigated inequalities and underrepresentation in cancer diagnosis, working with a network of community partners across Exeter.

Dr Federico Botta shares insights from his team’s collaboration with Exeter Science Centre, in which both parties sought to better understand Exeter residents’ views on urban liveability, supported by the 2024-25 Engaged and Participatory Research Fund.